A Life More Ordinary
by Erenriel
Summary: Previously 'Coming Home' but now a series! A shiny new series of KT oneshots. Kurogane has come down with something and Tomoyo is frustrated.
1. Coming Home

AN: I wanted to show a different side of the KT relationship with this one. Most of the fics show them realizing their feelings, admitting them, the two of them getting together, or the time when they are apart. I wanted to write a KT romance set several years after they had begun their relationship, hoping to explore how it would evolve over time. I hope I suceeded. Well, that's what this fanfic morphed into, it actually originally began with me wanting to write a roadrage!Kurogane fic, because I hadn't seen any anywhere and the idea amused me to no end. XD

Kurogane could feel the vein in his forehead begin to throb. If there was one thing that he couldn't stand it was the drive home from the station. The freeway was always insane at this time of day. It was so much easier when he was in the squad-car. Then, people would very nearly crash into each other in their haste to get out of his way. But once he was off shift…

Some blond yahoo on a moped went zipping past on his right. It took all of Kurogane's strength of will not to run the bastard over. It was only after he was done raging that it occurred to him to get the guys license plate. By then it was too late. For a moment he entertained the idea of chasing the moron down and arresting him. But that would take too long and he was running late already. Grimly, he glanced at the time on his radio before changing lanes.

The lovely Lady Luck was not smiling upon Kurogane today. Oh no, instead she decided to huck a big loogie on him in the form of a traffic jam. There appeared to be some sort of accident up ahead. _Great. Just fucking lovely_! Kurogane banged his fists on the steering wheel before leaning back in his seat, sighing. He turned to stare out his window and all lethargy dissipated. Who should he be stuck next to but the damned moron on the damned moped! The blond hadn't noticed. He was too busy yammering away on his cell phone.. Kurogane had his window open, so he could hear every word. "What? He's late! Oh, you poor dear, this is your anniversary! What an inconsiderate brute! Well, when he gets home you make sure you give him what-for! Eh? Ahahahaha! Why, but of course! Yes. Yes. Hugs and kisses. Bye-bye!"

The blond's words make Kurogane squirm in his seat a little. It was his anniversary, and here he was stuck in traffic. At least he hadn't forgotten this year. Kurogane cringed as he pictured the look on Tomoyo's face. It would have been easier if she had actually gotten mad at him. The quiet, resigned disappointment on her face had almost been too much. It wasn't that Kurogane didn't love Tomoyo. Completely the opposite! He just wasn't very good at saying it, that's all. He was more the type to show his feelings with actions more than pretty words. Things like catching a cold because "There wasn't a cloud in the sky when I left honestly! I didn't think I would need a coat." Or crashing into the door of their apartment because he couldn't see where he was going from behind all the stuff she had bought on her shopping trip. Or pretending he liked all that sugary crap whenever Tomoyo was feeling… domestic.

The sudden movement of the cars in front of him jolted him out of his thoughts. _Good_, he thought, one hand on the steering wheel, the other hanging lazily out the window. _Maybe today won't be a total loss_. The traffic started to pick up as whatever had been obstructing the road(1) was removed. Soon enough, the freeway was back to its original gong show. Kurogane valiantly abstained from road rage. At least things were moving again. He cruised along and before he knew it he was off the freeway and into his neighbourhood.

Kurogane parked his car and headed for the elevator. A pair of teenagers were sitting on the grass of the apartment complex playing some sort of card game. "No! No! No, Syaoran-kun! Like this." The girl reached down to the pile of cards between them and turned one of the cards. She gave the boy a smile that was a sparkles and the boy blushed. Kurogane couldn't help but grin as he passed them. _The kid's got no idea what he's in for if that smile is any indication._ He bounded up the stairs to his apartment on the fourth floor, not wanting to be any later than he already was. He opened the door silently, hoping to surprise Tomoyo. He loved doing that, sneaking up on her. The look in those violet eyes when he was suddenly inches from her face. She still blushed. "What, were you some kind of ninja in a past life or something?" she had demanded once.

Kurogane stopped in the doorway when he caught sight of Tomoyo. She was on the balcony, leaning against the railing. She was staring across the rooftops and a glass of wine was in her hand. She hadn't noticed Kurogane yet, so he allowed himself to stare. The breeze blew gently at her long black hair. The halter topped dress she was wearing was silk and deep plum in colour. It had a slit up the middle that stopped just above the knees. It had several layers, each stopping about four inches lower than the previous one, starting at about mid-thigh and all following the slit. The top of the dress gently hugged her curves. Her feet were bare. The whole look was rather sexy, Kurogane thought. He knew, without having to ask, that this was one of her own designs. It was elegant, and yet, (in his very manly opinion) it still managed to look as though it almost had ruffles. As much as Kurogane loved Tomoyo, he had to admit that the woman did have an unnatural love of lace and frills.

"Ohohoho! Like what you see, do you?" She gave him a wink. "Caught you." She set her glass on the table on the balcony and came into the living room.

"Sorry I'm late," Kurogane blurted. Damn, his brain was short circuiting. "Got caught in traffic. Uh, happy anniversary." Tomoyo's face lit up, and she clapped her hands together. Kurogane could practically see the bubbles and glitter.

"Oh, you remembered!" she cried, throwing herself at him. "I'm so proud of you!"

"ARGH! What the hell! What's that supposed to mean?" Kurogane tried in vain to pry Tomoyo off. Tomoyo had her arms locked around his shoulders and she was nuzzling his neck. This wasn't good. How the hell was he supposed to get a straight answer out of her when he couldn't string three words together in his head himself?

"I'd thought you had forgotten again, or you were tied up with a case or something. But you remembered! You care!" This time Kurogane managed to pry Tomoyo off. He looked down at her, red eyes intense.

"Of course I care," he said quietly, taking her hands. "What, you thought I didn't?" Tomoyo looked down at her feet.

"Oh, I know you care," she said titling her head to one side. "It's just that I never get to see you anymore. You're always tied up with work, pouring over evidence or-"

"Catching a serial killer who targets gorgeous women like you," Kurogane finished for her. Tomoyo's eyes widened. He cupped her cheek with his hand. "Can't you see why I do this? I'm trying to make this city a safer place. For you. Now, I'm sorry I'm late. You had some special planned didn't you?"

Tomoyo gasped and ran into the kitchen. There was a loud crash as the oven door was yanked open, followed by Tomoyo coughing and the fire alarm going off. Kurogane rushed into the kitchen after her. Tomoyo was standing in front of the oven waving the smoke away from her face and staring dejectedly at the charcoaled disaster. "I burnt it," she sniffed, wiping at her eyes. It was hard to tell if they were watering from the smoke or because she had destroyed their dinner. Kurogane sighed and took a tea towel from one of the drawers. He waved it in front of the fire alarm until it stopping screaming. Then he took Tomoyo in his arms and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I was too busy wondering when you would get home that I forgot to turn the oven off."

"So, then it's my fault, not yours," Kurogane said. Tomoyo tried to wriggle out of his embrace, stammering protest. "And to make it up to you I am going to treat you to dinner." Tomoyo stopped struggling immediately. "I'll be back." Tomoyo stared at Kurogane as he grabbed his coat by the wall.

"Where are you going?" Kurogane returned her stare.

"What, you want to come? I'm just grabbing takeout."

"_Takeout!_" Tomoyo said incredulously, all of Kurogane's redemption gone in her eyes. Kurogane grinned.

"Well, it's really good takeout; your favourite."

"That little Italian bistro by the grocery store?" Tomoyo asked. Kurogane nodded. "But why don't we just go there then?" Her eyes twinkled with amusement. "What, am I underdressed?"

"Not at all," Kurogane said, not falling for her trap. "I was just thinking of renting that movie you've been bugging me about."

"Ooh, The Devil Wears Prada?" This idea was beginning to sound better and better.

"Yes, yes. Can I go now? You're so tiny. If I don't get you fed soon you're liable to waste away on me." He was out the door before Tomoyo could think of a suitable comeback. She sighed and went back out on the balcony and grabbed her glass of wine. The sky was beginning to darken, the shorter days marking the advent of autumn. Tomoyo stared out across the rooftops, revelling in the feel of the wind blowing her hair about. It was a beautiful night. She and Kurogane had been married on this night exactly three years ago. She giggled when she remembered what her mother had asked her that day. "How can a man look so grumpy on his wedding day?" She had simply told her that it was the way that Kurogane was. Most people couldn't tell, but Tomoyo had known how happy he was. It was like a special secret all her own.

The newlywed feeling had worn off by this point. They had settled into their apartment and their lives. There were times when the money stretched too thin. Tomoyo's career as a fashion designer hadn't taken off yet. There were times when she would insist on finding a 'real job' to help pay for things. Kurogane always got angry and refused to allow it. The man was so stubborn! He was infuriating at times. But there was always a reason for what he did. The when the dust had cleared on the last fight when she had made that suggestion, he told her. He just couldn't let her give up on her dreams. It was always that way with him. On the surface, it seemed like he didn't have a caring or romantic bone in his body. But there was a reason for everything he did, and usually that reason was her. Like tonight, for example. He could have taken her out to some candle-lit restaurant, just like almost every other husband does on their anniversary. Instead, they were going to curl up on the couch together with her favourite pasta in the entire world, and watch a movie that she had been wanting to ever since it came out weeks before.

Suddenly, the phone rang. It was on the balcony already, so she had it by the end of the first ring. A light, playful voice came from the other end. "Well, that was fast, my dear. Have you already finished giving him what-for? Sent the big bad puppy to the dog house?" Tomoyo laughed.

"No, I do believe he's suitably redeemed himself. He's planned a romantic evening for just the two of us," Tomoyo said warmly.

"Well, then, I'm off to church," the other person squeaked.

"What for? You don't seem to be the church-going type, Fai-kun," Tomoyo said, surprised.

"Yes, well, it seems as though the world is ending. So I need to go pray," Fai explained airily. "He's being thoughtful. Next we'll see the flying pigs and that'll be it."

"I didn't know that flying pigs heralded Armageddon," Tomoyo giggled.

"Ah, yes, it's singing fat ladies, or something like that. Well, Tomoyo-chan, I shall leave you to it. But I do want all the juicy details later. Hugs and kisses darling."

"As always," Tomoyo laughed before making a kissing noise into the phone. "Bye." Fai said his goodbyes as well and they hung up. Tomoyo giggled. Fai was unique if nothing else.

"What was that all about?" someone asked from _right behind her._ Tomoyo jumped and accidentally pitched the phone over the balcony.

"Don't _do_ that!" Tomoyo yelled, rounding on the offender.

"So, who was that?" Kurogane asked, completely unfazed. "And what's this about redemption and flying pigs?"

"An old college friend of mine," Tomoyo explained. "He told me earlier I should 'give you what-for' for being so late. But I told him that you had more than made it up to me. As for the pigs… just… don't ask ok?"

"Wait, does this friend of yours drive a moped?" Kurogane could feel a headache waiting in the wings for its cue.

"Yes, actually, he does. Fai-kun's had the thing ever since we were in college. We were both Arts students." Tomoyo explained.

"An Arts student, huh? Is he gay?" Tomoyo stared at Kurogane incredulously, but the look on his face is serious. She rolled her eyes.

"_Trust_ me, he's not gay," she said. Kurogane's eyes narrowed a fraction. He shrugged.

"Well then, I'll have to kill him," he said simply, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like most husband go around threatening to murder all the men in their wives circle of friends. A lot of them would think it, but most wouldn't actually say it aloud.

"You most certainly will not. Fai-kun and I have been friends for longer than I have even known you. I will not let you kill my best friend. Besides, you're a police man. You, of all people, should know how hard it is to get away with going around murdering people. Besides, you know how I disaprove of violence."

"Whatever," he scoffed. "Let's just watch the movie. If we just stand around like this the diavolo with get cold." They sat down together on the couch. Kurogane had already laid out the styrofoam containers, the pasta steaming pleasantly. The TV screen was already showing the DVD menu for the movie. Kurogane grabbed the remote and Tomoyo snuggled up next to him, hoping that would prevent the usual rant about having way too many remotes, it's not like we're trying to launch ourselves into orbit or anything, why can't they just make a remote that works for all this crap, etc. Tomoyo sighed contendly as the movie began playing. This was the most normal evening in the world. And yet, Tomoyo couldn't picture a better way to spend her anniversary.

Owari.

………………………..

(1)Beetrain shortbus? XD


	2. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

AN: This particular chapter is dedicated to the wonderful Luinramwen, without her this fic would never have gotten finished. There were some things which were difficult to work out. She held me muddle through them so now we have borderline crack! She even helped me with the title unintentionally. I was describing what I wanted to do with this fic and one of the things I said was "A life more ordinary." Then it hit me what a wonderful title that would be. So for getting this thing off the ground, I would like all my fans to send her a big thank-you and read her fics. They will blow your mind. So without further ado.

AN2: Bwah! Error found and fixed. I'm so lucky that no ones seemed to notice yet!

………………………………………………………..

That woman's driven me mad, Kurogane decided. After all, why else would he be doing this? Sneaking into her house, honestly! It wasn't worth it. If he was caught, he'd be arrested. That would be disastrous. Even if Tomoyo's witch of a mother didn't press charges, which she would, he'd have a criminal record. He'd lose his spot at the academy. Kurogane was potentially throwing his career out the window here!

His inner debate was cut short when he caught sight of the wall. Tomoyo's voice rang through his ear. "I miss you," she'd told him over the phone. Kurogane missed her too. But he was never one to wallow in pity. So what if the rich bitch had forbade the "unrefined beast of a man" from seeing her "one and only treasure"? Kurogane had never let anyone keep him from something that he wanted. Not his position at the head of his class, and certainly not his woman! He started climbing.

Landing smoothly on the other side, he melted into the shadows. He channelled his inner ninja, as Tomoyo would say. A guard paced the lawn in front of him, oblivious to his presence. Kurogane frowned and made a mental not to tell Tomoyo to hire some better guards… and to have the current ones drawn and quartered. They had a job to do and they were not doing it. Until Tomoyo followed his advice, Kurogane decided he'd protect her himself. He didn't care if he had to patrol outside her house himself. No one was going to get to her, if he could help it. The probability that someone would actually try to attack of kidnap her was a moot point to Kurogane. It was the principle of the thing, really.

Kurogane crept stealthily along the wall towards his objective, the brightly lit balcony on the third floor. He could already see that the French doors were thrown wide open, curtains fluttering lazily in the night breeze. Perfect for any intruder to just waltz in and do whatever he pleased. The conveniently placed tree, with branches overhanging the balcony was not a good thing either. Kurogane's eyes narrowed. This was easy, far too easy. Surely, people with this much money could afford better security than this!

The hair suddenly stood on the back of his neck, and Kurogane had the distinct feeling that he had just cursed his previous good fortune. He sensed that he was being watched. There was a low growl off to his left and Kurogane started running. Dogs – of course there had to be dogs. The one that he had heard began pursuit. A bark some distance ahead forced him to change direction. Kurogane was a stubborn one though; he veered into an even more direct path to the window than he had previously been taking. Kurogane looked towards the happy glow of the light on Tomoyo's balcony. The sight renewed his energy and he put on a burst of speed.

Perhaps, he might have escaped the dogs if Hitsuzen was kind. But at that moment the lawn sprinklers decided to turn on. A well manicured lawn such as the one at the Daidouji residence is very slippery when wet. Poor Kurogane discovered this one the hard way. The grip his feet had on the ground as he sprinted was suddenly nonexistent. Kurogane was suddenly introduced rather forcefully to the ground and a pair of teeth sank into his calf. Luckily, Kurogane's excellent reflexes allowed Kurogane to pull his leg away enough that the dog only managed to bite into the fabric of his jeans. Unluckily, there was more than one dog. Kurogane had to get out of his current predicament and fast. There was only one thing to do…

A moment later, Kurogane was sprinting across the lawn, now compensating for the soaked grass, leaving a very happy German Sheppard gnawing on his favourite pair of jeans. He did his best to ignore the sprinklers, soaked or not, he couldn't quit now, even if he wanted to. He couldn't very well walk home without any pants! Somehow, in the mayhem of the sprinklers Kurogane lost the dogs. Still, he didn't waste any time in climbing the tree next to Tomoyo's window. Kurogane added the conveniently placed tree to his ever growing list of security risks. Maybe he should just tell her to move. In with him. Yeah, that would work. Then he could keep a proper eye on her. That was the _only_ reason. Yeah, sure.

He reached the house without further incident. This was turning out to be one hell of a night. Kurogane crouched against the wall to catch his breath. Even for a young man like himself he was in considerable shape. But he had been through a lot in the last half hour or so. He was in the home stretch; all that was left was to climb the conveniently placed tree. No problem for Kurogane, he'd been scaling them since he was a little kid. His father used to accuse him of being a monkey. Fortunately, Kurogane had also grown out of falling out of them. About half way up, he heard Tomoyo singing. It didn't matter that he couldn't make out the words; the sound of her voice was enough. Still, he was curious about what she was singing. So when he hauled himself onto the final branch he made himself comfortable. If she knew he was there she would inevitably stop.

When he caught sight of Tomoyo, Kurogane didn't know whether to laugh or nosebleed. Tomoyo was dancing around her room, in nothing but her panties and a tank top singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" at the top of her lungs into her hairbrush. Kurogane settled for breaking his twelve year streak and fell out of the tree. He caught himself one branch down, scraping his hand. This wasn't entirely soundless and Tomoyo heard him. She leaned over the balcony staring down at him in shock.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "And where are your pants?" The look Kurogane gave her would have made babies cry.

"You're one to talk! Prancing around in your underwear in very probable danger!" Kurogane, for all his intended intimidating rage, looked more like a big soggy puppy than anything.

"Will you shut up before someone arrests you?" Tomoyo said, trying not to laugh at his predicament. "Get in here before you're caught." Kurogane grumbled, scrambling up onto her balcony. Tomoyo was already waiting with a towel. Kurogane accepted the towel and began to dry his hair. After a moment he stopped though. He pulled the towel from his head slowly. Tomoyo was staring rather avidly at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kurogane backed up, blushing. Tomoyo grinned.

"Ohohohoho! Has anyone ever told you, you have nice legs?" She asked, sweetly.

"_Hell_ no! Get dressed!" Kurogane was trying very hard to get the situation under control. Things were getting out of hand and he was starting to regret coming here. He very much did not want to repeat this experience. "You're coming with me!" Where _the hell_ did that come from?! Judging by the look on her face, Tomoyo was wondering the same thing. "To… live… with me." That's it Kurogane, keep digging. He waited for the bomb to drop. Tomoyo stared blankly at him for a minute. Then she turned on her heel and marched out of the room.

Kurogane stared after her trying desperately to figure out what the hell had just happened. In a single second it seemed as though he had just ruined everything. He had scared her off. What now? There seemed nothing left to do but to crawl home; dejected, defeated, and depantsed. Well, at least there was a very happy German Sheppard somewhere on the lawn. _Someone_ was having a good night. Stupid dog, not a care in the world. Lax security, it's all the fault of that stupid dog with a denim fetish! Stupid pants not being able to defend themselves against a stupid dog. Kurogane's train of thought was (fortunately) derailed when Tomoyo came back into the room. She was fully clothed and dragging a suitcase. Under one arm she had a pair of jeans. She tossed them to Kurogane. "These should fit," she said. Kurogane stared blankly at her some more, though he added some slack-jawedness to the mix. "What the hell? What's going on?" Kurogane demanded, desperately trying to make some sense of the situation. Tomoyo just smiled at him, setting down the suit case.

"You should get dressed you know," she said. "We can't very well leave if you're not decent." Kurogane put on the jeans, wondering vaguely how the hell she had packed so fast.

"I was wondering when you would ask, you know. This is a rather unorthodox method though," Tomoyo said, tilting her head to one side, her index finger against her cheek. "Well, either way." She clapped her hands together and smiled. "We should get going before someone catches us." Kurogane's brain finally caught up with the situation and he realized what he had just gotten himself into.

"Just how the hell do you think we're going to get out of here? I could probably sneak out without being noticed but-" Tomoyo cut him off.

"We go out the same way you came in," she explained., "down the tree and across the lawn. I know of a hole in the wall that we can sneak out of. It'll be easy. The guards are sweet, but…" She smiled a little sadly. Tomoyo dragged the luggage towards the balcony. Kurogane was to have none of that. He took the suitcase from her, slung it over one shoulder and began to climb down the tree. "Follow me." They could have continued arguing about this, Kurogane supposed, but even morons like the security in this place were bound to notice a rogue pair of jeans being used for a chew toy. It hadn't occurred to Kurogane when he let the dog have the jeans what a liability they would be. Nothing he could do about it now, except avoiding being caught. That meant that time was of the essence here. He got to the bottom of the tree and looked up expecting to see Tomoyo climbing down the tree after him. Instead, he heard three words which very nearly gave him a coronary.

"Catch me Kurogane!" For a mere moment Tomoyo sailed gracefully through the air (there were sparkles), then she was falling very fast towards Kurogane. Kurogane dropped the suitcase as instinct kicked in. He ran out to where she was falling, jumped up and caught her bridal style. Tomoyo stared at him, wide eyed. "Wow, Kurogane," she breathed. "That was amazing!"

"Never. Do. That. Again." Kurogane replied through gritted teeth. Tomoyo giggled innocently.

"Are you going to carry me the whole way out? What about my luggage? I happen to like my clothes thank you very much." Kurogane cursed and set her down. "Ohohohohoho! Not that I was complaining or anything." Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"So where is this secret exit you were talking about?" he demanded. His temper was understandably a little frayed after that last incident. Tomoyo smiled mysteriously and pranced off. Kurogane sighed and followed after. If he wasn't in an asylum being prescribed medication by some guy in a lab coat by the end of the night it would be a miracle. Fortunately for Kurogane, it seemed he had filled his misadventure quota for the night, as they reached the fence without further mishap. Tomoyo edged along the wall, staring at it intently until she came across a set of bushes. She knelt down before the middle one and pulled her sleeve over her hand. Grinning smugly at Kurogane, she pulled it back to reveal a big hole in the wall.

"Why you little rebel!" Kurogane exclaimed, impressed. Tomoyo stared at the bush for a second.

"The old guards were a lot better at what they did than the ones we have now. They were all women too. They used to follow my every move when I was little. I found it rather stifling. So I used to sneak out of here all the time. It never took them very long to find me. But now they've retired. You might be surprised to hear that I miss them." She smiled sadly.

"Not really," Kurogane said. Tomoyo looked up at him, surprised. "I'll tell you later. Right now we need to get out of here." Tomoyo nodded and crawled through the hole. Kurogane pushed the suitcase through and Tomoyo pulled it out. He crawled through last. The bushes were a little sharp, but nothing Kurogane couldn't handle. Especially if Tomoyo used to sneak through here all the time when she was a little girl!

Tomoyo was standing on the other side, smiling down at him. She looked so beautiful, standing over him, bathed in moon light. Suddenly, Kurogane felt as though the entire night had been worth it, just for this one moment. And he had the feeling that there would be many more moments like this. He stood up, towering over her. "Let's go home."

Owari

…………………………………………………………………………………

Ohohohohoho! Review my pretties! And your little Kuro-wanko too!


	3. The Case For Chicken Soup

AN: This is based off of the flu that I just got over. It was awful and I had a midterm during the worst of it! It started with a massive headache and a fever. Then I got a sore throat and all stuffy and all my nerves felt like they were on fire (this would be when I had the midterm) so needless to say by the end of it I was justifiably miserable. Oh and my stomach was being rather antisocial. I passed it around my house and then decided to write this fic so I could share the misery. XDD

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mornings were a routine in the Suwa residence. Both Kurogane and Tomoyo were up before the alarm but neither would get out of bed until it sounded. Kurogane would fling out his arm and hit the button with mind-blowing precision. Then Tomoyo would enjoy the convenient view of his ass as he headed off to the shower.

This morning though, things were different. Kurogane was not up before the alarm. As the alarm rang out Tomoyo watched him blindly grope for the button, slamming his hand down on the nightstand. Tomoyo eventually reached over him and hit the snooze button. Kurogane groaned and buried his face in his pillow. Tomoyo stared at him. This was highly unusual. Kurogane was not the type to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. Something was wrong. Worried, Tomoyo snuggled up next to him to get his attention. With a squeak she wiggled back. "Ah, you're hot!" she exclaimed.

"Mmmm, thank you?" Kurogane mumbled. Tomoyo sat up and glared down at him.

"That's not what I meant," she pouted. Kurogane shrugged sleepily. Tomoyo put a hand to his forehead. It was definitely warm. Frowning, Tomoyo put her other hand to her own forehead. Yes, definitely a fever.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Kurogane demanded. Tomoyo smiled down at him. Caustic even when sick, Tomoyo wondered sometimes why she found the grumpy man so endearing.

"You're sick," she said, standing up. "That means that you are staying home today." She planted a kiss on his forehead. "I'm going to call the chief." Kurogane sat up in order to protest. But he was hit with a sudden wave of dizziness and fell back onto his pillow.

"Dammit," he growled, realizing he'd just proved her point. Tomoyo smirked, a hand on her hip. She looked dead sexy and this wasn't doing Kurogane's already fuzzy brain any favours. But if there was one thing that Kurogane was known for it was being stubborn. "I'm not staying home sick." Kurogane was not pouting. Real men do not pout.

"Fine," Tomoyo said grabbing the phone, "you're staying home ill." Quickly, Tomoyo dialled the number. She could see her husband summoning the strength to make a dive for the phone. "Hello, this is Mrs. Suwa, is the Chief there? Yes. Yes, I can wait." Tomoyo smiled at Kurogane as he stared at her in shocked defeat. How had she managed to get the upper hand so quickly? "Hello Chief Daniels. I just thought I'd phone and let you know that Kurogane cannot come in today. He's ill you see. Eh? Ahahaha! Yes, he _can_ get sick. I know it's unusual. It's no problem though? Oh, good. Yes. Sure, I'll take good care of him. Thank you. Oh, one thing… if somehow Kurogane shows up, please don't let him in. I would hate for something to happen to him. Thank you Chief. Bye-bye!" Tomoyo hung up the phone and smiled sparkles at Kurogane. She kissed him on the forehead. "There, she said, "that's all taken care of now. You have nothing to worry about any more. So get some rest." Tomoyo hopped out of bed and started to get dressed.

Kurogane stared at her as she picked through her wardrobe. She couldn't actually do that, could she? Kurogane glared at her. Like some little slip of a woman like that could keep _him_ home from work. Just as he was beginning to struggle out of bed Tomoyo turned around. "And don't even think of getting up. You won't get better that way." She sighed dramatically. "What if you never got better? What if you _died_?" There were tears now, crocodile tears no doubt, but Kurogane could never stand to see her cry. "How can you be so selfish?"

Kurogane was silent for a moment before muttering, "It's just the flu." Tomoyo huffed and left. Great, now she was angry with him – well, what passed for anger with her anyway. Kurogane tried to suppress the twinge of guilt he felt in his chest. He had an important job to do and she was keeping him from it. She was being the selfish one! Still, Kurogane remained in bed, for the moment. He didn't shut his eyes because he was tired, or pull up the covers because he felt cold, and he certainly wasn't sick! But if it made Tomoyo feel better – Kurogane guessed he could humour her for a little bit.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Tomoyo shook her head as she marched to the picnic tables. There was a set of them on the lawns of the apartment complex that they were living at. A lot of the tenants, Tomoyo included, liked to go there to enjoy the Sun and socialize. Sakura Kinomoto was sitting at one of the tables for reasons that were probably far more innocent than Tomoyo's desperate need to get away from her idiot husband. She looked up from her book and smiled as Tomoyo sat down. "You're angry," Sakura said. Tomoyo frowned.

"I am not angry," Tomoyo said. If anything, that made Sakura's smile even bigger.

"Oh, my bad, annoyed then," Sakura replied mischievously. Tomoyo had an odd sense of déjà vu. "So what's got you so _annoyed_?"

"Kurogane has the flu and I made him stay home from work today," Tomoyo explained with a sigh. Honestly, why did he insist on making things so difficult for her? Didn't he realize that it was only because she cared? It wouldn't be so bad if Kurogane had a desk job. Having slowed reaction time at the photocopier wouldn't get you killed but it certainly could with Kurogane's job. He didn't like to talk about it much because it always made Tomoyo worry. But Kurogane didn't try to fool himself by thinking that she didn't know it was dangerous. There were some very bad parts of town in this city and some days keeping order was less than easy. Tomoyo often considered herself very lucky that Kurogane had never been hurt at work. But if Tomoyo let him go out on patrol today and he got himself injured or killed because he wasn't at his best she would never be able to forgive herself.

"Hoe?! Aren't you worried about him sneaking out or something?" Sakura asked worriedly, looking up at Tomoyo's balcony as if she could see him sliding down the drainpipe to escape. Tomoyo smiled, not feeling the least bit guilty.

"Nope, I told the Chief not to let him in. Besides, I guilted him to staying in bed, at least, for now." Tomoyo turned the sparkles on again for Sakura's benefit. "What if you _died_?" Sakura broke into a fit of giggles.

"You're so bad!" Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh herself. The girl's adorable giggle was infectious. Sakura was really too cute. Maybe Tomoyo could get her to do some modelling for her sometime. With Sakura as a model the line would sell for sure! Sakura looked thoughtful suddenly. "There does seem to be something going around right now. I'm wondering if it's the same thing that Touya has." Sakura's older brother was still living at home because he was going to college. Tuition was expensive enough and rent was getting rather ridiculous. There were ups and downs to a booming economy Tomoyo supposed.

"Oh, your brother is sick?" There was something amusing about the notion. Perhaps Sakura had come to the tables to escape just like she had.

"Yes he is. But don't worry, Yukito's here looking after him." Sakura giggled and Tomoyo smiled knowingly at her. So Sakura had come here to escape after all, though for an entirely different reason. How cute.

"Ohohohohoho! Well I'll have to bake dear Yukito something for his trouble," Tomoyo said. Yukito had a rather fascinatingly large appetite and he had a thing for Tomoyo's muffins.

"Oh no, don't do that!" Sakura said in mock horror. "He'll never leave!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Akyuu!" Yukito sneezed. Luckily, there was a healthy supply of tissues close at hand. "Ah, bless me." He got up from the foot of the bed and grabbed one from the nightstand.

"Aw, no. Don't dell me you gedding zick doo Yugi," Touya said. Fortunately, poor Yukito had gotten quite good at deciphering flu-speak and this made perfect sense to him.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Anyway," Sakura said, "poor Kurogane is probably wondering where you are by now. It wouldn't be good if he got up to look for you. All the hard work you put into getting him to stay in bed would be wasted." Sakura did have a point. Kurogane would do just that, especially if he was worried about her. She didn't exactly tell him she was leaving.

"That's true," Tomoyo said while getting up. "I'd better go check on him. And tell Yukito it'll be poppy seed this time. It's all I've got on hand." Sakura blinked at her.

"Hoe? Why would you have poppy seeds just lying around?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo sighed, more in annoyance at the poppy seeds than anything else.

"A little goes a long way. You buy one jar and it'll last you for years. Well, see you later Sakura."

……………………………………………………………………………………………

"Kurogane!" Tomoyo called as she entered the apartment. She half expected to hear him barking at her from the bedroom but nothing greeted her but silence. Worried, Tomoyo rushed into the bedroom to check on him. She stopped when she saw him and smiled softly. Somehow, Kurogane had somehow managed to cocoon himself in the blankets in the middle of the bed. He was fast asleep, snoring softly and finally getting some rest.

Tomoyo sat softly on the bed. Brushing his hair back she gently kissed his forehead. Poor Kurogane, they really were overworking him lately; no wonder he was getting sick. Tomoyo had lost track of the number of times she'd lain awake in bed waiting for him to come home. She'd pretend to be asleep when she slipped silently into bed doing his best not to wake her. Tomoyo never had the heart to tell Kurogane that that she couldn't sleep until she knew he was safe in bed beside her. It would cause him more guilt and what good would that do? Tomoyo's rueful smile widened into a grin. Even if they argued about it again Kurogane was in no condition for make-up sex. Kurogane would never admit it, but the exhaustion was taking its toll.

Tomoyo sighed and went into the kitchen. If Kurogane wouldn't take care of himself then Tomoyo would do it for him. She'd bake Yukito those muffins while she was at it. Yukito probably understood what she was going through more than anyone. Touya had the same habit of pushing himself past sane human limits that Kurogane did. AS she picked ingredients out of the cupboard Tomoyo wondered idly if the two of them had a bet to see who could work themselves to death sooner. Driven men could be so inconsiderate to the ones who loved them – so selfish.

Tomoyo had worked herself into quite a state by the time she had made the muffin batter. The kitchen had become a complete mess. Baking was supposed to be a stress reliever for Tomoyo but it certainly wasn't working out that way this time. Perhaps it _was_ time Tomoyo had had a talk with Kurogane. Things couldn't go on this way – it wasn't healthy for either of them. Tomoyo made the decision to talk to Kurogane as soon as he was feeling better. Tomoyo spooned the muffin mix into the tin. _But not a moment before._

……………………………………

Yukito looked up from his book when he heard a knock at the door. Thinking that Sakura might have forgotten her key again he got up to open the door. He was rather surprised that instead of Sakura he found Tomoyo standing in the doorway holding a large Tupperware container and a bowl. "Tomoyo! To what do I owe the pleasure." He stepped back to let her in.

"Just stopped by to see how things were here," Tomoyo said as she headed for the kitchen. She opened the lid to the container and grinned as its sweet aroma filled the room. "And I brought muffins!" Yukito's eyes lit up and he made a beeline for the box.

"Ah, Tomoyo you shouldn't have!" Yukio protested even as he grabbed a muffin. The young man ate enough to feed a small army, yet he never gained an ounce. If Tomoyo could discover the secret to staying so thin she'd make millions. Kurogane would never have to work again! He wouldn't know what to do with himself – best to scrap the idea then. Besides, Yukito would probably tell her it was her muffins.

"Um, Tomoyo are you alright?" Yukito asked as she giggled. Tomoyo waved her hand and shook her head as she continued to giggle.

Just as Tomoyo managed to calm down, Touya decided to make his presence known with a loud howl of "YUUUUUUUUUUGIIIIII!!!!" Tomoyo and Yukito burst into laughter as Touya continued. "Yugi, who izzit? Bedder nod be datt damm bradd!"

"Don't worry To-ya, it's just Tomoyo. No evil, hormonal teenaged boys have come to kidnap your cute little sister. Tomoyo brought muffins!"

"And chicken noodle soup," Tomoyo added helpfully.

"Oh, you did? How thoughtful of you," Yukito thanked her. He turned back to the hallway. "And chicken noodle soup!"

"Ah, _ACHOO_, I see. Thang you!" Tomoyo squealed inside – that had been ridiculously adorable somehow.

"Has he been sick long?" Tomoyo asked. Yukito shook his head as he put the muffins in the fridge.

"Not really, only since last night. It stated with just a fever and some dizziness. Is something wrong?" Yukito asked at Tomoyo pulled a face.

"Oh it's nothing. This just sounds a lot like what Kurogane has, which means it's only going to get worse. I'm really glad that I made him stay home now."

"Kurogane actually took a sick day? Did you guilt him into it or something?"

"Do I seem that devious to you?" Tomoyo pouted.

"Well, yes," Yukito admitted. "But apparently that can be a good thing sometimes. I mean, it's for Kurogane's own good after all!" He added hastily. Tomoyo giggled as she watched him stumbled over his own words in an attempt to backtrack.

"Speaking of Kurogane, I should probably go back to check on him. He might have woken up from his nap by now. Take good care of Touya," Tomoyo said. "And enjoy those muffins."

"I will," Yukito said sad Tomoyo left to go back to her own apartment. He was about to close the door after her when Tomoyo stuck her head back through the doorframe.

"You take care of yourself too, you hear?" She smiled at him and slipped out and down the hallway.

………………………………………

Kurogane tried to ignore his growing headache and dizziness as he stirred to wakefulness. He rarely got sick but when he did it was bad. Tomoyo was probably right about him staying home today – not that he'd _ever_ admit to that. His uncle had been right, his pride would be the death of him one day. He suppose he should apologize to Tomoyo at some point. Kurogane hadn't meant to make her angry. He had been trying to make it seem like he wasn't as sick as he really was so she wouldn't worry as much. That had backfired on him in a way he hadn't imagined possible.

Kurogane's thoughts were interrupted when Tomoyo walked into the room carrying a tray. She waltzed to the bed and set the tray on the night table as she sat next to him. "Soup?" he asked, puzzled.

"Never underestimate the magical healing properties of homemade chicken noodle soup. It's a secret that has been passed down by wives and mothers through the centuries," Tomoyo told him, her face and voice completely serious. Of course, Kurogane didn't believe her for a second. It was the odd twinkle in her eye that gave her away.

"Oh, really?" Kurogane asked, staring at the bowl with mock suspicion. "What did you put in it?"

"Chicken," Tomoyo answered, "and noodles. So eat up!" Kurogane hesitated. "Oh please! Touya had some earlier and Yukito has yet to come in here screaming about his boyfriend being dead." Tomoyo took the bowl from the table spooned Kurogane a mouthful. "Please eat."

Kurogane rolled his eyes and took the spoon in his mouth. Tomoyo giggled and shifted in her seat. "Call me cute and I won't have another bite," Kurogane growled. He would probably continued but his throat was getting sore.

"So you want me to lie to you or you'll starve yourself to death?" Tomoyo turned away quickly and his her face (and grin) with her hair. "How can you be so cruel Kurogane? Do my feelings not matter at all?" Later perhaps, Kurogane would blame the fever for him taking her seriously. But Tomoyo would take his words to heart.

"Tomoyo, you're the most important thing in my life, of course your feelings matter. Why do you think I'm working so hard – for my health?" Tomoyo giggled a little at that and for once Kurogane smiled. A little. Tomoyo would have missed it if she blinked. "So if it'll make you feel better I'll eat your damn soup!" He reached for the bowl but Tomoyo pulled it away before he could get a hand on it. Tomoyo shook her head and a teasing smile was on her lips. "Oh _hell _no! Don't you _dare_. No way am I laying here like an invalid while you spoon feed me!" Tomoyo scooped up another spoonful of soup and held it out to him. Damn her and damn her delicious soup. But never damn the care and love she obviously put into it.

"Why not?" Tomoyo asked innocently and Kurogane stared incredulously at her.

"Why not? Because!" Kurogane growled but broke off into a coughing fit. Tomoyo rolled her eyes and stuffed a spoonful of broth in his mouth. Kurogane suddenly wondered about those magical healing properties as his cough stopped. Of course it wouldn't occur to him that drinking warm liquids would calm a cough. Tomoyo smiled brightly at him and damn her but she looked so smug. Fine, he'd eat the stupid soup.

"Don't worry," Tomoyo said as she held up another spoonful. "I won't tell a soul."

……………………………………………

AN: So there we have it, another chapter is over and done with. This one is dedicated to MysticDawn5. You're an inspiration to the rest of us m'dear. So update please. Pretty pretty please with gummy mokonas on top? Review as always my dear readers.


	4. Cuz I've Got Friends in Glittery Places

AN: This was originally written as a submission to the Christmas Challenge at the Kurogane/Tomoyo community at Livejournal. It won third place. Now that I've gotten the okay to post this elsewhere I'm uploading it here. This is for all of you who have ever wondered how ALMOverse Kurogane and Tomoyo first met. I hope everyone had a fantastimagical holiday! The third omake is dedicated to arnicodono!

* * *

Kurogane dodged holiday shoppers with the skill of a ninja. Every second in this place drove him even further up the wall. Everywhere he turned there was some man carrying way too many boxes or a woman dragging along too many children screeching their lists of wants. Kurogane always found this time of year incredibly irritating. For a season that was supposed to be based around a religious holiday and spending time with family people sure spent a lot of time and money on Things. Today, though, Kurogane was not much better. He was at the mall to buy wrapping paper for his mother's gift. He still wrapped his father's gifts in newspaper. He had been doing that since he was a child and it had become a little joke between to two of them. However, given his mother's condition, this year he wanted to do something special for her.

All good intentions aside, this was turning out to be more difficult than Kurogane had anticipated. The people jostling by him in the overcrowded corridors were irritating enough. No, what was aggravating him was much more serious than any of that. Everywhere he looked they were sold out of wrapping paper. How could he have let this happen? He knew that he should have gone to look sooner!

Kurogane stopped to get his bearings. He never went to the mall if he could help it so it was far too easy for him to get lost. He had stopped next to a women's clothing store that was blasting sugary pop remixes of old Christmas carols. It made his ears want to bleed. Down the hall was Santa's Castle in all its majestic, glittering glory. A couple of elves sat on one of the snowy railings swinging their stockinged legs and staring at him. He could have sworn one of them winked at him. He gave them his most intimidating glare and they laughed merrily while the bells on their shoes played percussion. Kurogane growled, realizing he was playing right into their hands, and turned his back on them. The blazingly cheery sign for the craft store loomed overhead. Kurogane sighed, and went in. This was as good a place as any to look for wrapping paper and it might be his last chance to find some.

"HOHOHO! And what would you like little lady?" the jolly old man asked the child on his lap. Green eyes widened and lit up with joy.

"I would like some new roller skates so I could keep up with my brother when he is going to fast on his bike," she said, clapping her hands together. Her brother looked over from where he was standing with his friend.

"It's because you're too slow, Monster." He crossed his arms and grinned at her. The little girl gasped.

"How can you say that kind of thing in front of Santa? You won't get anything but coal now!" Strangely, she seemed more upset by that than what her brother had said to her.

"Hoho! Young man, you should listen to your sister. You shouldn't pick on those smaller than you." Santa Claus continued on in this vein for quite a while. Tomoyo watched him smooth ruffled feathers with a wonder bordering on awe. Kusanagi really was a master at this sort of thing. He wasn't the kind of person that you'd want to meet in a seedy bar or dark alley but you put a child in his lap and he would instantly transform into the world's biggest teddy bear. It was such a treat to see.

"Hyuu! Santa's doing great isn't he?" an elf chimed, leaning on her shoulder. An identical elf mirrored his action on the other side.

"The big man sure knows what he's doing," the other agreed. Tomoyo sighed, completely unfazed by the invasion of privacy.

"Hello boys, you aren't doing this to the customers are you?" The elves staggered away from her and fell into each other's arms.

"Did you hear that Fay? She thinks were creepy!"

"Oh Yuui, how cruel! To think we have lost her love! Whatever shall we do now?" Fay buried his head in his twins shoulder. Yuui held him close, stroking his hair while blinking at Tomoyo with watery eyes.

Tomoyo sighed, there was really no dealing with the twins when they were like this. She turned away and leaned on the railing. All around her different Christmas songs blared from the stores, the sounds of people talking and hurried footsteps adding to the chaos. Tomoyo didn't really mind the pleasant cacophony. She liked watching people, they were just so interesting. It was part of the reason that she was friends with the twins. They were a never ending source of entertainment; even if they did take it too far at times.

Something caught Tomoyo's eye; a stillness in the swiftly moving current of shoppers. In the midst of the holiday bustle one man was standing still. He was alone from what Tomoyo could tell and he hadn't seem to have bought anything. He was tall and well built, seeming to tower over those who jostled around him. He seemed to be pointedly ignoring the castle so she got a good look at his profile, even from this distance she could tell that he was handsome. Tomoyo wondered idly what he was doing there.

"What are you doing over here all by your lonesome Tomoyo?" Yuui asked, coming to perch on the railing. Fay sat up beside him, swinging his legs.

"Oh nothing," Tomoyo said innocently. Fay arched an eyebrow at her and looked out into the crowds. A smile crept slowly across his face and he placed a hand on his twin's shoulder.

"Hyuuuu, look over there Yuui?"

"What is it Fay? Oh, I see what you see. Handsome devil isn't he?"

"Oh my yes! I can see why he caught your eye, Tomoyo!" The pair giggled, clasping hands and swinging belled feet.

"You two," Tomoyo said airily, "are impossible. I am going to see how Kusanagi is doing. His elves are supposed to be helping him but they seem to be occupied." And with that, she was gone, disappearing to go do their job for them. The twins watched her go before turning to each other with identical mischievous smiles.

"He really is quite good looking," Fay said absently. Yuui nodded, looking out at the object of their musings. He laughed suddenly when he noticed Tall, Dark, and Handsome looking over at them. He nudged Fay and gave the man a cheeky wink. The pair of them broke into silvery laughter when the man glared at them. They could have sworn they heard him growling. This was the most fun that the twins had all day. Tall, Dark and Handsome then decided to ruin their fun by turning away and walking into a nearby store.

"Well why did he go and do that?" Fay murmured, frowning.

"How boring," Yuui sighed.

"Almost as boring as Tomoyo," Fay mused, leaning on a toy soldier. Yuui laughed uproariously and fell into Fay's lap.

"They would be well suited to each other," Yuui snickered. "And she could use a big strong man like that in her life." Fay rested his hands on Yuui's back and looked out at the Craft store that Tall, Dark, and Handsome had wandered into.

"She would indeed," Fay thought aloud. "It would be nice to see Tomoyo happy with someone. We should do something like that for her. A boyfriend would be the perfect Christmas present."

"Especially considering how broke we are," Yuui agreed. "Christmas elves! How could we have sunk so low?"

"At least we look good," Fay laughed. "Mind you, Tomoyo can make us look good in anything. Yuui, are you willing to take one for the team if it means getting Tomoyo the perfect Christmas gift?"

"Sure," Yuui shrugged. "I don't see why not. What exactly do I need to - AAH!! OOF!!" Fay had dumped him off their perch unceremoniously and sat up on the railing gazing down at him innocently. Yuui lay spread eagle, staring up at his twin in bemusement. "What on Earth was that for? That hurt!"

"And you ripped your costume," Fay added helpfully.

"Yes, and I - What?" Yuui sat up and did a quick once over of his costume. He groaned and glared up at Fay. The costume had caught on something during his fall and torn in a rather embarrassing way. "I fail to see the point in this."

"Oh, but you will," Fay assured him. Fay hopped gracefully off the railing and flounced off. Yuui sat up and watched him go, getting more annoyed and confused by the second. A few moments later Fay returned with Tomoyo on his arm.

"Now what's this I hear about you ruining your costume?" Tomoyo asked, arching an eyebrow. Yuui opened his mouth to protest but Fay silenced him with a look. It wasn't and angry or pointed look, it was a cat-at-cream grin. Yuui decided to play along for the moment. "Let's see the damage," Tomoyo sighed and Yuui coloured.

"Oh please, it's nothing she hasn't seen before," Fay quipped. Yuui gawked at him.

"I thought that was a self portrait, Fay," Tomoyo said serenely.

"Nope, I used Yuui as a reference. It's actually a painting of him," Fay explained with equal serenity. Yuui had played enough of these games to recognize when he had lost so he lay back down and rolled over.

"Oh my," Tomoyo said, a hand to her mouth. "This is a bit of a problem."

"Yes," Fay agreed.

"Are those?"

"Why yes," Fay confirmed grinning. "Yes they are."

"Oh, cute!"

"I know!"

"Can we please get back to the situation at hand here?" Yuui begged, hiding his face in his hair.

"Of course Yuui, but I am afraid that I don't have anything with me that I can use to repair this," Tomoyo said regretfully. "I'm not sure what you can do."

Fay placed a hand on Tomoyo's shoulder and pointed. "There's a craft store right there where you can get everything you need," he supplied helpfully.

"Why thank you Fay, that was most helpful. Oho! I'll be back quickly Yuui, your costume will be even better than before. Not to worry." Fay and Yuui watched her go without moving.

As soon as she was out of earshot Yuui rolled onto his back so that he was in a less embarrassing position. "Fay?"

"Yes, Yuui?"

"You're a genius."

"I know, Yuui, I know."

* * *

Tomoyo took a shopping basket from the stack and looked around. At the very least, she needed green thread and some needles. It would have been best if she could find some of the right fabric too, but since this was a store that she hadn't been in before she didn't trust their stock. They might have something in the right colour, but finding the right texture would be next to impossible. Still, it was best that she start looking; Yuui needed her help, after all.

She walked down the aisles, grabbing what she needed as she went. She stopped dead at the end of one of the aisles and looked up. Her violet eyes widened and her mouth nearly fell open. "Ohohohohoho! I never should have doubted you!" She reached up to grab it and frowned. Curses, she was too short!

* * *

Kurogane wandered down the aisles of the store in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. What was half of this stuff for anyway? Sprigs and bobbles in every colour sprung out from the aisles on either side. Fabrics in ridiculous patterns hung from the walls around the edges of the store. No one in their right mind would want to make or wear anything out of this stuff. Kurogane hoped to God that he could find what he needed before he went blind from the clashing colours around him.

Unfortunately, it didn't appear as though his prayers were going to be answered any time soon. This didn't seem to be the type of place to find wrapping paper after all. Damn it all to hell, what was he going to do now? Be damned if he tried another mall. There wasn't much chance that he would have better luck if he tried somewhere else. But this was for his mother and he wanted to do something special for her. He wasn't about to give up now.

Kurogane looked around, doing a last minute sweep of the store before he left. That was when he noticed the young woman just a couple aisles down doing something strange. She appeared to be hopping up and down trying to reach a roll of green velvet. It was a rather comical sight, Kurogane had to admit. He leaned against a shelf of ceramic Santas to watch.

She was really quite pretty. Her thin brows were knitted and her full lips pursed in a brow of frustration. Long black hair fluttered about her as she leapt, trying to reach the fabric that swung lazily in the air above her, almost seeming to mock her in its inanimate callousness.

A sudden sound caught Kurogane's attention and he looked down the aisle. His eyes widened with horror. What the hell?! An empty shopping cart was rocketing towards the woman. "Hey!" Kurogane shouted but she remained oblivious. Cursing Kurogane ran down the aisle and pulled her around the corner.

It all happened so fast. One second Tomoyo was attempting to get her hands on that evil roll and vaguely considering getting either an employee or a stool and the next she had a face full of leather jacket and red t-shirt. She also found herself wrapped protectively in a strong, muscular arms. Well this was something new, not that Tomoyo was complaining in anyway.

* * *

Tomoyo looked up to find deep red eyes glaring down at her. "What the hell do you think you were doing? That thing almost hit you." Tomoyo followed his gaze to the overturned shopping cart. Tomoyo really didn't know what to say.

"I was trying to get the fabric. I need it to fix Yuui's costume." i Stupid, how would he know who Yuui is/i she thought. It was then that she realized he was still holding her. It was a nice feeling, a safe feeling. The embrace seemed to be filled with some sort of unconscious need to protect. That didn't stop the fact that she didn't even know this person."Um, could you let me go?" Her rescuer's arms dropped to his sides and he swerved around her in an attempt to cover up the awkward moment.

"Well it's nothing to get yourself killed over," he grumbled. The man pulled the fabric down a bit and shore some off. "Is this enough?"

"That's plenty, thank you," Tomoyo said, taking the velvet from him. "I'm Tomoyo, by the way."

The man blinked at her, apparently startled by the sudden introduction. "Kurogane," he said at last. The corners of his mouth twitched into what might have been a smile. Tomoyo somehow felt lucky to see it. She looked around as something occurred to her.

"What are you doing in a place like this? It doesn't really seem to be your type of store. Are you here buying something for your girlfriend?"

"Oh, I don't have a girlfriend," Kurogane said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm trying to hunt down wrapping paper. I knew this place was a shot in the dark, but no where else seems to have any either." Kurogane folded his arms and frowned. Tomoyo could tell this was important to him, and she felt the need to repay his kindness somehow. An idea suddenly hit her.

"I've got some left over rolls back in my car. I finished wrapping mine a couple days ago so it's just lying around." She coloured when he stared at her. "I just don't want it to go to waste," she added quickly. "It's that expensive hallmark stuff and I don't like to use the same rolls from year to year."

"Well, if you're sure. I suppose it's the best I'm going to be able to do," he sighed. "Your car is out which entrance?"

"The east one," Tomoyo replied taking his elbow. "And afterwards we can go for coffee." Kurogane humphed in what Tomoyo decided to take as agreement.

* * *

"Well what do you think?" One elf asked, peering around the corner past some ceramic santas.

"A definite success, I would say," the other elf confirmed, pulling Santa's coat tighter around his body. He was glad the coat was so long.

"It was a close call," Fay said, shaking his head. "Tomoyo could have been hurt."

"I would have pulled her out at the last minute if Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome - I mean Kurogane - hadn't saved her," Yuui assured the younger twin. Fay frowned in a way that suggested he wasn't entirely convinced.

"I still say it was a bad idea, but I suppose it was worth it in the end," Fay agreed. "I hope she'll be happy."

"Me too, Fay, me too."

* * *

**Omake 1**

"And what's your name Missy?" Kusanagi asked the girl on his lap. The little girl clapped her hands and stared up at him in wide eyed, excited innocence.

"I'm Yuzuhira and I want a puppy!" she announced gleefully. Kusanagi suppressed a groan. That was always a hard one. Most parents didn't want to get their children pets. Dogs usually didn't do well in the city. Finding something to say that wouldn't leave the children disappointed on Christmas morning was a challenge that Kusanagi did not relish. He smiled weakly at the girl's grandmother standing at the edge of the dais. The grandmother smiled back and nodded. Apparently the grandmother already knew about this and had planned accordingly. Well, if it was alright with her then he might as well have some fun with it.

Yuzuhira beamed up at him. "Taking care of a puppy is very difficult you know," Kusanagi said, stroking his great white beard in apparent thoughtfulness.

"No it isn't!" Yuzuhira protested. "I'd take really good care of it! I'll take it for walks and give it baths and feed it! I won't even feed it from the table 'cuz that would make it sick. This boy in my class gave his dog chocolate once and his mommy had to make it throw up. It stunk so bad! But Grandma wouldn't have to do that with my dog! I would take care of it. It would even sleep in my bed!"

"Easy there! I can see that the little guy would be well loved. Well if you treat him just like you say you will and are on your best behaviour all the way to Christmas, I'll see which of the pups at the North Pole wants a new home." The little girl looked like she would die of sheer joy. Her whole face lit up and she threw herself at him to bring him into the tightest hug she could manage. Her little arms couldn't even reach all the way around his broad shoulders but they were filled with the innocent kind of love that only a small child could share. Kusanagi's throat was tight when he spoke again. "And what are you going to name him?"

"Inuki!"

* * *

**Omake 2  
**

"One peppermint white chocolate mocha and one-"

"Coffee, black," Kurogane said, cutting Tomoyo off. She blinked up at him, startled by his abrupt behaviour. Then she flushed, he had leaned over her shoulder to get the attendant's attention and still hadn't moved. He easily towered over her and she was reminded of how he had saved her from the shopping cart. She still couldn't figure out where that thing had come from, though she was starting to get her suspicions.

The clerk behind the counter rang up the total and Kurogane paid. They were told it would be a couple minutes so they went to go sit down. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any free tables. As they looked for a place to sit a tall, voluptuous woman gracefully unfolded herself from her chair by the fire place, her hair slithering about her as she stood. "You may have this table if you wish," she said in a sultry voice. "But it will cost you."

"What do you want?" Kurogane growled. This little date was quickly spinning out of control fast. Tomoyo gently touched his arm and smiled at him. Kurogane sighed, damn woman had too much of a calming effect on him. It was abnormal. He still didn't know why he had agreed to come here in the first place. His forearm tingled where the delicate hand rested. The corners of mouth twitched, he knew why.

"Oh nothing much, I've just got a mini of Baileys here in my purse and nothing to put it in," the woman said, an impish smile on her face. Kurogane wiped his hand down his face.

"You want my coffee." It wasn't a question. The woman tented her fingers and looked over them with a lidded gaze. "Fine." The clerk announced that their coffees were ready so Kurogane left the women to fetch them.

"What a dog," the strange woman commented with a lazy smile. "A far cry from your usual kittens."

"Excuse me?" Before Tomoyo could ask her properly what she meant Kurogane was back with coffee in hand, a scowl upon his face. The woman brightened instantly. Kurogane could almost see stars bursting in her eyes as she reached for the coffee.

"A pleasure doing business with you, Kurogane," she said and sashayed out the door without another word.

"What the hell was that?" Kurogane demanded as they sat down. Tomoyo shrugged and sipped her coffee.

"Do you know that woman?" Tomoyo asked, setting her mocha down.

"Why would I know someone like that?" Kurogane huffed. This whole thing didn't sit well with him somehow. "Wait, why did she know my name?" Tomoyo put a soothing hand on his and held out her mocha.

"Who knows? At any rate, you should try this." Kurogane rolled his eyes and took it from her. Steeling himself he took a sip and promptly began choking. He slammed the coffee down on the table and gagged.

"What is this gargbage?" Tomoyo couldn't answer, she was too busy laughing.

* * *

**Omake 3**

Meanwhile, back at the house...

There was a loud crash followed by the wailing of the smoke detector. Hokuto threw down her sketch pad and rushed into the kitchen. She froze in shock at the scene before her. Her brother Subaru was taking shelter behind the broad shoulders of Seishirou as Kujaku stood waving a pot lid manically over the stove and shouting obscenities.

"Oh, h-hi Hokuto," Subaru said, peeking around Seishirou's back. He looked a scared and just a little sheepish. Seishirou was silent, his amused smile saying everything for him. Kujaku hadn't even noticed her, he was trying to find the fan switch. "We were just getting all the ahead work done for tomorrow. Kujaku was telling us how he used to be a chef so I asked him to help. But, um..." Hokuto felt a vein throb in her forehead. Of course, Tomoyo was conveniently absent so she was left to deal with this disaster herself.

"It's no trouble, brother mine. I'll just have a word with Kujaku if that's alright?" Subaru looked a little worried but he nodded. "Wonderful, thanks Subaru. By the way, I made new aprons. They're hanging in the pantry door. We wouldn't want that outfit to get stained, would we?" Kujaku had noticed her by this point. He slammed the pot lid down on the bubbling bunk and grinned weakly. At least he had the grace to look scared. Hokuto grabbed him by the ear and hauled him out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"Hey there," Kujaku said with a winning grin, leaning against a closet door. Hokuto promptly decked him. Rubbing the side of his head, Kujaku sighed. "Don't worry your pretty little head. Everything is going according to plan."

"What do you mean? I got you out of there before you could burn the house down." Honestly, what was he talking about? Kujaku was completely unpredictable. Normally, that was a part of his charm but as with cases like this one it often did more harm than good. She did have to admit that if she let him work his magic more times than not all the pieces would fall into place and everyone lived happily ever after. But this time, things just seemed too dangerous. She could have sworn there had been flames coming out from underneath that pot. Hokuto also wanted an edible Christmas Eve dinner, thank you very much!

"Why would you even tell such a lie to Subaru? He's naive and trusting enough to believe something silly like that. I suppose Seishirou is just along for the ride. But Subaru really wanted everyone to have a good Christmas Eve. Why would you go about ruining it like that?" Hokuto badly wanted to believe that this wasn't some elaborate joke and that Kujaku's heart really was in the right place. Kujaku's playful expression softened and he chuckled lowly, as if to himself.

"Oh, my dear Hokuto, you have so little faith!" He rested his hand on her shoulders and guided her to peek around the corner into the kitchen. Seishirou was helping Subaru tie his apron. It was an adorable shade of pink and had a penguin on it and ruffled trim. Subaru was flushed but smiling and Seishirou's expression was unusually soft. Kujaku's breath tickled in her ear as he leaned in to whisper, "Subaru would never have agreed to do anything of the cooking if I had not offered my professional assistance. He doesn't trust his own abilities. It was my idea to call Sei-chan over to help us. Ahaha! Isn't this sweet? They don't even notice I've gone."

Hokuto's heart skipped as she looked up over her shoulder. Kujaku's violet eyes sparkled with the satisfaction of a job well done. i The same as Tomoyo's /i , she thought in wonder. In his own weird way, he had been looking out for them after all. All along, he had been doing what it took to make them all happy, usually at his own expense. How could she have never noticed before?

Oblivious to her heart wrenching epiphany, Kujaku's grip tightened on her shoulders. "Times I wish I had a camera. It's too bad Tomoyo took hers with her." Hokuto looked back into the kitchen to see what had caught his interest. Seishirou was tasting a sauce from a ladle Subaru was holding for him. The expression on the boy's face made him look for all the world like he had just sprouted wings and was standing on his very own shiny new cloud that had been deliberately made big enough for two.

Hokuto rested her hands on Kujaku's and leaned back. "Thank you," she whispered. Those two small words were laden with so much. Kujaku was silent as he kissed her head. Nothing more needed to be said.


End file.
